A workflow management system and related method for multi-author reporting

Abstract

A workflow management system for medical report production includes a workflow database that stores workflows, a user database that stores users, a task configurator that generates and configures tasks for production of a medical report in correspondence with rules of a workflow out of the workflows and assigns the tasks to users out of the user database, the tasks including at least one multi-author task, and an exclusion list manager that maintains an exclusion list of excluded authors for the multi-author task, wherein the task configurator is operationally coupled to the exclusion list manager and adapted to exclude the excluded authors when assigning the multi-author task to users.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A workflow management system for producing a medical report, the workflow management system comprising:
 a workflow database that stores workflows;   a user database that stores users;   a task configurator, operationally coupled to the workflow database and the user database, that generates and configures tasks to produce a medical report according to rules of one of the workflows stored in the workflow database, and assigns the tasks to users stored in the user database, the tasks including a multi-author task; and   an exclusion list manager that maintains an exclusion list of excluded authors for the multi-author task; wherein   the task configurator is operationally coupled to the exclusion list manager and excludes the excluded authors when assigning the multi-author task to users stored in the user database.   
     
     
         11 . The workflow management system according to  claim 10 , wherein the users includes one of the following:
 an individual; and   an assignment group including more than one individual; and   the multi-author task is a task assigned to at least a plurality of individuals and/or the assignment group.   
     
     
         12 . The workflow management system according to  claim 10 , wherein the exclusion list manager:
 adds an assignment group to the exclusion list when an individual in the assignment group performs the multi-author task;   adds an individual in an assignment group to the exclusion list when the individual performs the multi-author task with a request for review by co-authors of the assignment group; and   removes a user from the exclusion list when an individual performs the multi-author task with a request for review by the user listed in the exclusion list.   
     
     
         13 . The workflow management system according to  claim 10 , wherein the task configurator:
 assigns the multi-author task to users according to the rules of the workflow;   receives the exclusion list for the multi-author task from the exclusion list manager; and   filters the users to which the multi-author task is assigned using the exclusion list, thus preventing assigning the multi-author task to the excluded authors listed in the exclusion list.   
     
     
         14 . The workflow management system according to  claim 10 , wherein the task configurator subsequently assigns the multi-author task whenever the multi-author task is performed by an author. 
     
     
         15 . The workflow management system defined in  claim 10 , wherein the exclusion list manager includes:
 an exclusion list generator that generates the exclusion list of excluded authors for the multi-author task; and   an exclusion list updater that:
 adds an assignment group to the exclusion list when an individual in the assignment group performs the multi-author task; 
 adds an individual in an assignment group to the exclusion list when the individual performs the multi-author task with a request for review by users of the assignment group; and 
 removes a user from the exclusion list when an individual performs the multi-author task with a request for review by the user listed in the exclusion list. 
   
     
     
         16 . A method for managing exclusion lists in the workflow management system defined in  claim 10 , the method comprising the steps of:
 generating the exclusion list of excluded authors for the multi-author task; and   updating the exclusion list by:
 adding an assignment group to the exclusion list when an individual in the assignment group performs the multi-author task; 
 adding an individual in an assignment group to the exclusion list when the individual performs the multi-author task with a request for review by users of the assignment group; and 
 removing a user from the exclusion list when an individual performs the multi-author task with a request for review by the user listed in the exclusion list. 
   
     
     
         17 . The workflow management system defined in  claim 10 , wherein the task configurator includes:
 a workflow interface that receives one of the workflows from the workflow database;   a user interface that receives the users from the user database;   a task assigner that assigns the multi-author task to the users according to the rules of the workflow;   an exclusion list interface that receives the exclusion list of excluded authors for the multi-author task;   a task filter that filters the users to which the multi-author task is assigned using the exclusion list, thus preventing assigning the multi-author task to the excluded authors.   
     
     
         18 . A method for configuring tasks in the workflow management system defined in  claim 10 , the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving the workflow from the workflow database;   receiving the users from the user database;   configuring tasks to produce the medical report according to the rules of the one of the workflows;   assigning the multi-author task to the users according to the rules of the workflow;   receiving the exclusion list of excluded authors for the multi-author task; and   filtering the users to which the multi-author task is assigned using the exclusion list, thus preventing assigning the multi-author task to the excluded authors.